Western Canada’s premier Muay Thai fighting event returned as Journey Fight Series presented “Muay Thai Journey Fight Series VI” an 8-man 160lb tournament at the Century Casino in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

In the main event, Sheldon Gaines defeated “Nasty” Nate Smandych via decision after a tough Thai boxing match that saw both men do serious damage to one another. Gaines established the tempo and distance early on with his kicks and had some great combos including a straight left followed by a spinning elbow which caught Smandych on a couple occasions. Gaines’ endurance was also key as he was always on his toes and the fresher of the two, as Gaines’ clinch work also wore down Smandych. But Smandych was there until the end giving almost as good as he got, he just didn’t land the volume of strikes like Gaines did which factored into the decision.

The co-main event ended in controversy as Ken “Hitman” Tran and Troy Sheridan ended in a technical after Tran got elbowed in the back of the head, but he was turning his back and throwing strikes so it was not a blatant foul by any means and according to the commentators was not a foul at all as Tran initiated the positioning with throwing a backwards elbow of his own. The referee consulted with the outside officials and they decided to not disqualify Sheridan, because of Tran turning his back, but they did not give him the win either. It was a confusing situation that didn’t leave anyone happy with the result, especially Sheridan. Up to that point it was a great fight with Tran throwing sharp elbows and Sheridan landing hard, straight punches. Sheridan won round one as Tran slowed down and Sheridan landed knees and elbows to finish the round. The ensuing “foul” came in round two.

Watch the journey of one fighter as he becomes champion! Don’t miss this loaded event with 10 high octane bouts as Journey Fight Series presents “Muay Thai Journey Fight Series VI” exclusively on VOD at GFL.tv.

The Canadian Muay Thai Council – Amateur (CMTC-A) hosted its annual Muay Thai Team Canada Trials in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and partnered with GFL.tv to bring the action to you via the Internet.

CMTC-A provides a proving ground for up and coming Canadian Muay Thai fighters and as this tournament showed, Thai boxing is alive and well in the Great White North. The event featured over 30 athletes from across Canada. The event was promoted by the Journey Fight Series, the top Muay Thai promotion in western Canada.

The tourney was broken down into two divisions (A & B) with the fighters in Division A competing for a spot on Team Canada and the opportunity to represent Canada at the IFMA World Championships in Russia later this year. The fighters in Division B gained experience and improved their level by competing against other fighters with similar skillsets.

There were knockdowns and knockouts throughout the competition as men and women competed in front of a raucous crowd. The winners advanced onto the Canadian Team while the losers still gained valuable experience that will help them in their career. There is no doubt that some of these well-trained athletes will meet one another again, probably in a pro bout as the talent was stacked from start to finish.

If you’re a fan of Muay Thai, order this iPPV on VOD to see the best and brightest Canada has to offer as it gears up for the IFMA World Championships in the September. Order now, only on GFL.tv.